- published: 05 Jan 2012
- views: 91996
Tomoi is an unarmed martial art from Malaysia. It is closely related to other Indochinese boxing styles, such as muay Thai in Thailand, pradal serey in Cambodia, muay Lao in Laos and lethwei in Myanmar. It is practiced mainly in the northern states such as Kedah, Trengganu, and especially Kelantan. Practitioners are called petomoi.
The word tomoi is a cognate of the Thai term dhoi muay which refers to pugilism and fist-fighting in general. It was the original name for the old bare-knuckle style of Muay Thai now referred to as muay boran (ancient boxing).
It's not clear exactly where the various Indo-Chinese forms of kickboxing originated but they are known to share a common ancestry having been based on Chinese techniques with some influence from the Indian martial arts. One theory is that they were spread by the ancient Funan empire, based in modern-day Cambodia and Vietnam, which once encompassed what are now Thailand, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Pahang. Originally, boxers wrapped their fists in hemp rope instead of wearing gloves. There was no ring, so the fights would take place in any open area while surrounded by spectators. If the crowd was satisfied when the match was over, the victor would be rewarded with food and money which helped supplement the income of poor families. British colonists later introduced the modern rules, boxing ring and gloves. The old style, often referred to by its Thai name muay boran, was passed down to advanced students. However, only a handful of masters in Malaysia still teach these techniques.